"I Remember"-How Nostalgia For What Never Was Is Wrecking Black Films

The Golden Age of Film. Such sentimental phrases conjure up black and white or sepia images of times when no one locked their doors and every American had a roof over his head and a nickel could buy you breakfast, lunch, and dinner...what?! This essentially is the crux of the rootless debate as to what constitutes "good" or "bad" Black films.

Why Black people want to imagine past films as being "better" than some of today's films baffles me, but if the past holds the secret to the future of Black film, let's go for a stroll down memory lane.

My film watching career really began in the 1990's- that's when I actually began going to the movies. The first film I ever saw was "White Men Can't Jump", starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. I remember it being a very popular film and can't quite recall anyone asking why Rosie Perez, a Hispanic chick, was intimate with Woody, a White boy, on film. We teenagers all had a good laugh over Woody's antics and were (slightly) amazed at his b-ball skills; by then it was well known that White men could, in fact, jump.

Why one film based on a stereotype was one of the 20 highest grossing films of 1992 and produced several mega-stars is beyond me. But it happened.  Is that a "Black" film to be proud of? Okay, maybe that's not Black enough for you, so let's continue down memory lane.

By the way, 1992 was the same year that Boomerang and Malcolm X came out. I don't remember a fall out between Eddie Murphy and Denzel Washington, but I guess it could have happened, behind the scenes.  For the record, Sister Act, Lethal Weapon, The Bodyguard, The Distinguished Gentleman, Passenger 57, Mo' Money, and Candyman were all in theaters AT THE SAME TIME. All of these films starred Black actors.

My point is simple. In one year, many incredibly successful Black movies with different tones and direction were released. There was no argument. There was no debate because there was no need. Some were comic,  crazy and compelling, and others were, well, crappy.

Films are not really meant to be a marker of racial demographics or other socio-political issues, but if people wish to believe that past black films were infinitely better styled,  then there is plenty of evidence that this was not so.  Does this make Martin's Lawrence's hilarious portrayal of Big Momma simply a $25 million embarrassment (opening weekend gross)? I think not.

If I fast forward through the 90's a plethora of Black films crowded the theaters. Gangsta' oriented films dramatically impacted the Black film landscape; Dead Presidents, Boyz n the Hood, Set It Off, Menace II Society, Poetic Justice, to name a few. As a matter of fact, so many gangsta films came out during this time, that a Wayans spoof film was even made. These then gave way to a more romantic spate of Black films, notably The Best Man and Love Jones, along with The Wood and The Inkwell (set in the Vineyard).

The 2000's started off quite promising with Love & Basketball, then The Brothers and Deliver Us From Eva,  but seemed to cool down considerably until T.P. set us on fire for film again (he has 6 and counting under his belt so far) in just 5 years..

Fast forward to 2011.  Now, as then, Black films are starting to saturate the film marketplace again with new directors, producers, and writers. I don't know why the Hughes Brothers, John Singleton, and many other talented directors seemed to stop making movies. Ask them. All I do know is that Black films have had a glorious, topically diverse past and are presently enjoying a Renaissance. Queen Latifah now produces her own films. TD Jakes is staunchly focused on producing more and more Christian films. I'm dying to know who's next.

So to the critics, stop imagining the past as the pinnacle of Black film, it was only the precursor to an even richer period of adventurous and diverse Black filmmaking. And if that doesn't satisfy you, just throw a House Party.